Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-08-19


along we'll together.
Luanna Cooper, (colOred,) was
sworn. She lives a mile from the
Voolfolk house on the Yates place,
and had got up to doctor her hus.
band, when she heard a terrible
commotion over towards the Wool.
folks. She heard peoplescreamlng,
dogs barking, and cows believing
as if they smelt blood.
Emma Jones, (colored), lives
three quarters of mile in a north
erly direction, and she and her hus.
band were awakened by
SOUNDS OF wAILING
IN the direction Of the WOOlfOlks.
They heard two women screaming,
one coarse and the other shrill, and
the first cried out, "Oh, Lord oh,
Lord ~ Then all was still, and in a
short while they heard a mans
voice calling Anderson James.
w. II. Smith, white, was sworn.
He said that when the boys from
Lockett's awOke him, at about 2:30,
he came Immediately and found
Tom Voolfolk at Green LocketI's,
two or three hundred yards from
the Voolfolk house. Tom seemed
cool and collected, and said that
somebody had killed the whole
family. He and Tom went on to
the house aud Tom walked right on
in. After a few minutes he came
out on the piazza and asked for a
match, as he could find none inside
and the lamp was out. He went
in and staid a few minutes and
again came out, Mr.. Smith remain.
ing outside. Smith asked him how
he knew they we're dead, and Tom
replied that he had been around
and felt of them. He said he had
laid his mother and sister on the
bed, having found them on the
floor. His only explanation was
that he heard the blow that killed
his father; heard his brother Rich
ard, who, with the younger broth
er, Charlie, were sleeping in the
same room with Tom, run into his
fathers room, and Tom heard him
struck down. Then he jumped
from the window and escaped.
When Tom Voolfolk was brought
into the room where the father,
mother, and four children lay, he
pointed nonchalantly to the dead
bodies, describing the position they
we're in when he came and felt OF
them. There
WAS NOT A CULVER IN HIS VOICE,
as he spoke of lifting his mother
and sister to the bed. In the jury
room he broke down once or twice,
but finally became selt-possessed,
and reiterated the story of the mur-
der as told to the witnesses. He
first said he heard no Outcry, but
afterwards said he heard the chill
dren crying as he ran off. He told
how he had returned alone, and
felt of the bodies to see if they were
dead, and how he afterwards went
out and washed the blood of his
face, feet and hands, where he had
got it handling the bodies. He had
evidently studied his part well, as
he repeated the statements by rOte
like a school boy saying his lesson.
He told how they had retired about
Q o'clock and he had washed aud
shaved. When illusions were made
to the blood found in the rim Of
his ear this morning he tried to ex
plain it away, but he had used the
significant expression
elbow could miss it, when blood
was spatterlng everywhereF
On re.eXaminatiOn he was strip
ped, and the faint outline of a bloody
hand was discovered on his thigh.
He said he probably got that when
he changed his clothes. n small
vial was found IN the room two
thirds full OF a reddish liquid, and
after much questioning, he acknOwl-
edged that it was the tinctuTe of
cantharides, which had been pur-
chased by some fellows with whom
he was frolicking, and thus it came
into his possession. Attention w9 s
called to some dark stains on the
floor of the room he occupied, which
had been partially secured out with
soap and water. He said he had
turned over a cup of salts on the
floor on Thursday night. Tom said
that he did not think there was
anything in the house 10 temp
robbery, and his fatb or had no enc.
mics. The lamp Yves burning wher
he went to bed, hut extinguished
when he returned to the house after
the murder.
Samuel Chanberiss, white, was
next sworn, ald testified about thu
same as Smi'.h did. lie described
the appearf lnce of the floor in the
morning when it had first beer
rubbed, showing that the murderer
had trie,I to obliterate the stains.-
Tom Voolfolk had repeatedly re
marked d that the bloody foot prints
on tbs floor we're his, for he had
blootIied his feet in his fathers
rooUI looking at the bodies. Mr.
Chamberliss heard him when hi
went to the we'll and drew water to
wash himself.
r. II. Wright keeps store about
two miles from the Woolfolks, and
he testified as to Tom purchasing
a one.cent stamp for cash and
two.cent stamp and a drink o
whisky on credit Friday evening
Mrs. Voolfolk and Tom didn't gel
along well, but for her husbands
sake she tolerated him, but he ant
the children, especially Richard
and Pearl, frequently disagreed.
John Owens, coIored, testified tt
hearing William Voolfolk remark
that the property belonged to him
and he meant to have it.
Some little effort was made Il
prove a conspiracy between Ton
Voolfolk and Anderson James
hnt IL fell throngh. SOlicitOr.Gen